NEW YORK — Major League Baseball is instituting a comprehensive registration and drug testing program for unsigned prospects in the Dominican Republic.

The program went into effect Friday and targets prospects eligible to sign professional contracts after July 1. The initiative also involves a series of workshops designed to educate unsigned players about the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs.

MLB says in a statement that the moves will help to reduce identity and age falsification and the use of prohibited substances.

Longtime baseball executive Sandy Alderson was hired in March to help reform baseball in the Dominican Republic. He says that MLB is trying "to educate young players and expand the resources available to them as they pursue professional careers."